Flexible plastic container

ABSTRACT

A flexible polymeric container for storing and dispensing liquids includes a first sidewall and a second sidewall connected together to define a fluid chamber therebetween. The first sidewall and the second sidewall each have an inner surface facing the fluid chamber and an opposed outer surface. A fitment is attached to an outer surface of one of the first sidewall or the second sidewall. The fitment has an opening therethrough which has an axis substantially perpendicular to the outer surface. A plurality of objects on the inner surface of one of the first sidewall or the second sidewall defines a plurality of pathways having at least a first pathway and a second pathway intersecting one another.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/291,344 filed on Nov. 8, 2002, which is a continuation-inpart of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/037,295 filed on Dec. 21,2001 which claims priority from Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.60/332,463 filed on Nov. 9, 2001.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to a flexible plastic containerand more particularly to a flexible container for directing a flowablematerial contained therein to a fitment of the container and dispensingthe flowable material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Collapsible plastic bags are often used to store liquid products such aschemicals, soft drink syrup, fruit juices and food condiments. Theplastic bags are typically housed in a corrugated paperboard box to aidin the transporting, handling and dispensing of the product. Suchpackaging systems are commonly referred to as “bag-in-box” packagingsystems.

The plastic bags typically have sidewalls sealed along a peripheral seamto define a fluid containing chamber. A spout or a fitment providesaccess to the fluid chamber for filling and dispensing the productwithin the bag. Vacuum pump systems are sometimes connected to thecontainer to assist in draining fluid from the container. Both gravitydispensing bags and vacuum pump systems suffer from the common drawbackthat fluid may become trapped within the folds of the bag duringdraining. Because of this, evacuation channels are often placed withinthe bag. Evacuation channels are typically elongate cylindrical tubes orflat strips with protruding ribs defining grooves. Typically, one end ofthe evacuation channel is disposed transverse to, or is connected to thespout, and the other end of the evacuation channel extends into thefluid containing chamber of the bag. As the bag is emptied by the forceof the vacuum pump, or by the force of gravity, portions of the bagcollapse unevenly, tending to leave pockets of product, typicallyliquid, which may become isolated from the rest of the liquid in thecontainer. The evacuation channel, however, forms a conduit which cannotbe closed off by the folds created in the bag. In this manner the entirechamber of the flexible bag remains in communication with the spout atall times during the dispensing such that all product within the bag canbe removed.

Prior attempts to provide such bags are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos.4,601,410; 5,647,511 and 5,749,493. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,601,410 and5,647,511 disclose a liquid container with an evacuation unit. In boththe '410 and '511 patents, the evacuation unit is shown attacheddirectly to the spout by a mounting ring. Several problems have beenencountered with these types of evacuation units. For example, duringthe filling process, which is typically done in a high speed and highpressure process, the evacuation unit is susceptible of being dislodgedfrom the spout thereby rendering the evacuation unit inoperative. Also,the attaching ring can impede the flow of liquid during the fillingprocess thereby slowing the filling process.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,493 discloses an evacuation unit positioned within abag and transverse and perpendicular to a spout in the bag. Because theevacuation unit is positioned in a location that is in line with theincoming fluid during the filling process, it is susceptible of beingdislodged from its mounting to the container thereby rendering itineffective. The '493 Patent also discloses extruding a pair of ribs ora single rib or protuberance extending the length of the container.

Many of the designs which utilize an evacuation unit positioned withinthe bag require that the unit be placed into the bag after the bag hasbeen substantially constructed. This is highly undesirable because itadds another step to the manufacturing process and increases the laborcosts.

U.S. Pat. No. Re. 34,929 discloses a plastic bag having interconnectedair channels on its inner surface for the vacuum packaging of perishableitems. The air channels are formed by the spaces between a plurality ofraised protuberances having uniform thickness and formed in a generallyregular and waffle-like pattern. The protuberances prevent the totalcollapse of the bag during air evacuation.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,778,171 discloses the production of airtight packagesfor packaging perishable items such as food. Projections are providednear an opening of the airtight package for keeping sidewalls of thecontainer from fully collapsing against one another while air is beingevacuated from the container.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,086 discloses a flexible container having multipleaccess ports and particularly discloses a container for storing fluidsfor parenteral administration to a patient. An inner surface of asidewall of the container can have various patterns embossed thereon toassist in draining the contents of the container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a flexible polymeric container forstoring and dispensing liquids. The container has a first sidewall and asecond sidewall connected together to define a fluid chambertherebetween. The first sidewall and the second sidewall each have aninner surface facing the fluid chamber and an opposed outer surface. Afitment is attached to an outer surface of one of the first sidewall orthe second sidewall, the fitment having an opening therethrough havingan axis substantially perpendicular to the outer surface. A plurality ofobjects are positioned on the inner surface of one of the first sidewallor the second sidewall to define a plurality of pathways having at leasta first pathway and a second pathway intersecting one another.

The present invention further provides a flexible polymeric containerfor storing and dispensing liquids. The container has a first sidewalland a second sidewall connected together to define a fluid chambertherebetween, the first sidewall and the second sidewall each having aninner surface facing the fluid chamber and an opposed outer surface andan access member for accessing the fluid chamber. A plurality of a firstset of objects having a first shape is positioned on the inner surfaceof one of the first sidewall or the second sidewall. A plurality of asecond set of objects having a second shape different from the firstshape is positioned on the inner surface of one of the first sidewall orthe second sidewall.

The present invention further provides a method for evacuating a fluidfrom a container. The method includes the steps of: (1) providing aliquid filled container having a sidewall having an inner surface and anouter surface, (2) providing a plurality of objects on the inner surfaceof the sidewall to define a plurality of pathways having at least afirst channel and a second channel intersecting one another; (3)providing a fitment attached to the outer surface, the fitment having anopening therethrough having an axis substantially perpendicular to theouter surface; and (4) applying a suction to the fitment to draw fluidfrom the container. In a preferred method according to the presentinvention, the container is placed in a box before suction is applied towithdraw fluid from the container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container having a fitment;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sidewall of the container of FIG. 1 having objects havingvarying shapes;

FIG. 4 is a sidewall of the container of FIG. 1 having a plurality ofregularly spaced rectangular protuberances to define a checkerboardpattern; and

FIG. 5 is a sidewall of the container of FIG. 1 having circularprotuberances together forming a circular pattern with a series ofX-shaped protuberances forming S-shaped lines and further forms atrademark owned by the Pepsi-Cola Company.

FIG. 6 is a sidewall of the container of FIG. 1 having teardropprotuberances together with circular protuberances.

FIG. 7 is a sidewall of the container of FIG. 1 having a separate pieceof material secured to the sidewall in the area opposite the opening ofthe fitment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many differentforms, herein will be described in detail with the accompanying figures,a preferred embodiment of the invention. The present disclosure is to beconsidered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention andis not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to theembodiments illustrated and described.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a flexible container assembly 10 having a firstsidewall 12 and a second sidewall 13 attached at peripheral edges 14 todefine a fluid tight chamber 16. A spout 18 is attached to an outersurface of the sidewall 12 and provides fluid flow access to the chamber16. In a preferred form of the invention, the first and second sidewalls12 and 13 are a flexible polymeric material having a modulus ofelasticity of less than 50,000 psi. The sidewalls preferably are madefrom materials such as homopolymers and copolymers of polyolefins,polyamides, polyesters or other material that are capable of beingsealed using standard conduction sealing techniques. The sidewalls maybe multilayered or single layered and may be fabricated from anysuitable polymer processing technology including extrusion, coextrusion,extrusion lamination, lamination or other. The container can be madefrom individual sheets placed in registration and sealed along theperiphery 14 or can be made from a blown film process where onlyopposing ends of a tube need be sealed to complete the container 10.

FIG. 3 shows a plurality of objects 20 on the sidewall 12. The objects20 can be positioned on a single sidewall or both. The objects, in apreferred form of the invention, are provided over an entire surface ofthe sidewall but could be provided only in select areas of the surface.The objects can be of any shape including regular shapes such ascircular, polygonal, straight or curved lines, symbols or the like. Theobjects can also be irregular shaped. These objects 20 assist indraining fluid from the chamber 16 as is discussed in more detail below.The objects 20 can be raised protuberances or indentations in theseshapes. The objects can be all of the same shapes or be of a combinationof shapes. The objects can be of varying sizes provided the objects areeffective to provide miniature fluid pathways through the container whenthe fluid or particulate contents of container is being evacuated.

The objects 20 can form a regular pattern or an irregular pattern. Theregular pattern includes objects being placed at the same or essentiallythe same spacing or a repeating sequence of spacings. The irregularpattern is one where the objects are generally randomly distributed.

In a preferred form of the invention as shown in FIG. 4, a regularlyspaced pattern of rectangular-shaped objects 30 having pathways 32defined therebetween. This checkerboard pattern has at least a firstpathway 33 intersecting a second pathway 34. In a preferred form of theinvention the pathways intersect at substantially perpendicular to oneanother. However, it is contemplated the intersection of pathways 32 canform various angles without departing from the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows another preferred form of the invention having a series ofcircular protuberances 40 together with X-shaped protuberances 44. Thecircular protuberances 40 define a circular shape 42. The X-shapedprotuberances 44 define a S-shaped pattern 46. FIG. 6 shows yet anotherpreferred form of the invention wherein the objects 20 have a generallyteardrop shape 48. Of course it is contemplated that any combination ofshapes of protuberances can be used and that more than two differentshapes can be used. The present invention further contemplates that theindividual protuberances can form varying indicia such as a trademark,tradename, logo, instructions for use or other identifying or usefulinformation or advertising that can be viewed through the sidewall 12 or14 or both.

The objects can be formed on the inner surface of sidewall 12 orsidewall 14 or both by techniques well known in the art includingembossing during the fabrication of the sidewall, or embossingafterwards. The pattern can also be applied by an extrusion coatingprocess or similar process. The objects can be pressed into thesidewalls with a shaped die. Numerous other mechanisms and processescome to mind for forming the objects which are well known in the art andthe present invention should not be limited to the processes recitedabove. The pathways 32 and 33 of the pattern are preferably of a depthgreater than or equal to 1 mil, or less than 8 mils, and even morepreferably less than 5 mils. Most preferably, the pathways 32 and 33will have a depth of from about 1 mil to about 4 mils.

The exact mechanism by which the pathways 32 and 33 assist in evacuatingfluid from the container is unclear. It appears that the pathways 32 and33 are by themselves too small to provide sufficient fluid flow fornearly complete evacuation of the container. Indeed, it has beenobserved that because of the pressure exerted during evacuation and theflexible nature of the container, the protuberances on the surfaces ofthe sidewalls 12 and 14 can interlock not only with other protuberances,but also with the pathways between those protuberances located onopposite sidewalls of the container 10. Because of the interlocking thatoccurs, fluid flow to the spout can be inhibited. Nevertheless, withoutbeing limited to theory, it appears that the pathways 32 and 33 assistin dispersing fluid through the pathways into creases formed within thecontainer during evacuation. It is believed that the predominant fluidflow occurs through the creases and that flow evacuates fluid from thecontainer. Fluid flow through the pathways is minimal. This isparticularly true when the container is placed in a corrugated box whichis typically used in bag-in-box applications as discussed in more detailbelow.

The fitment 18 has an opening 50 having an axis essentiallyperpendicular to the sidewall 12 of the container. It is contemplatedthe fitment 18 can be mounted at various angles to the sidewall withoutdeparting from the present invention. The fitment 18 provides fluidaccess to the contents of the chamber 16. FIG. 7 shows another preferredform of the invention where a separate piece of material 60 may beplaced on sidewall 13 in the area opposite the opening 50. The separatepiece of material 60 can be formed from a variety of polymeric materialsdiscussed above and can be secured to the container wall by heatsealing, adhesives or other conventional methods. The separate piece ofmaterial 60 acts to reinforce the sidewall 13 so that more creases canbe formed in the container 10 during evacuation. As discussed above, thecreases assist in evacuating fluid from the container.

Typically, container 10 is used for housing liquids such as soft drinksyrup which are withdrawn from the container under pressure with a hoseand mixed at a fountain with a diluent such as soda water. The hose (notshown) has an attachment for connecting to the fitment in a fluid andairtight arrangement. A vacuum pressure is applied to the fitment 18through the hose to withdraw fluid under pressure from the container. Ofcourse, the fitment 18 may be attached to the first or second sidewall12, 13 or both and may be located at any location thereon.

The present invention further provides a process for evacuating thecontainer shown in FIG. 1. The method for evacuating a fluid from acontainer comprises the steps of: (1) providing a liquid filledcontainer having a sidewall having an inner surface; (2) providing aplurality of objects on the inner surface of the sidewall to define aplurality of channels having at least a first channel and a secondchannel intersecting one another; (3) providing a fitment attached to anouter surface of the sidewall, the fitment having an openingtherethrough having an axis substantially perpendicular to the outersurface; and (4) applying a suction to the fitment to draw fluid fromthe container.

In a preferred example of the process for evacuating the container, thecontainer is first placed inside of a box before suction is applied towithdraw the fluid from the container. The box can formed from anymaterial and can be any shape or size. Preferably, the box will befabricated from a corrugated material that is typically used in standardbag-in-box applications. Moreover, the box will be sized so that it isslightly smaller than the flexible container. As a result, the container10 will be slightly compressed when placed in the box further ensuringthat creases will be formed during evacuation.

While the specific embodiments have been described, numerousmodifications come to mind without significantly departing from thespirit of the invention and the scope of protection is only limited bythe scope of the accompanying claims. This design is just one example ofa pattern design having these favorable characteristics, and disclosureof it is merely one example of a design having its favorablecharacteristics, others of which are not significant departures from thespirit of the invention.

1. A flexible polymeric container for storing and dispensing liquidscomprising: a first sidewall and a second sidewall connected together todefine a fluid chamber therebetween, the first sidewall and the secondsidewall each having an inner surface facing the fluid chamber and anopposed outer surface; a fitment attached to the first sidewall or thesecond sidewall, the fitment having an opening therethrough having anaxis substantially perpendicular to the outer surface; a plurality ofobjects on the inner surface of one of the first sidewall or the secondsidewall, the objects including a first set of objects with a firstshape and a second set of objects with a second shape different from thefirst shape to define a pattern of a plurality of pathways having atleast a first pathway and a second pathway intersecting one another, thefirst pathway and the second pathway each having a depth of greater than1 mil but less than 8 mils.
 2. The container of claim 1 wherein thepattern is generally a checkerboard pattern.
 3. The container of claim 1wherein each of the first set of objects has a generally circular shape.4. The container of claim 1 wherein each of the first set of objects hasa polygonal shape.
 5. The container of claim 1 wherein each of the firstset of objects has an irregular shape.
 6. The container of claim 1wherein each of the first set of objects is generally S-shaped.
 7. Thecontainer of claim 6 wherein the S-shaped objects extend from a firstend of the container to a second end of the container.
 8. The containerof claim 1 wherein the pattern extends over an entire surface of thefirst sidewall or the second sidewall.
 9. The container of claim 1wherein the plurality of pathways are of a depth of less than 5 mils.10. The container of claim 1 wherein the plurality of pathways are of adepth of a range of 1 mil to 4 mils.
 11. The container of claim 1wherein each of the first set of objects is generally teardrop shapedand each of the second set of objects is generally circular shaped. 12.The container of claim 1 wherein the container further includes aseparate piece of flexible material secured to the sidewall of thecontainer in an area behind the opening of the fitment.
 13. A method forevacuating a fluid from a container comprising the steps of: providing aliquid filled container having a sidewall having an inner surface;providing a plurality of objects on the inner surface of the sidewall,the objects including a first set of objects with a first shape and asecond set of objects with a second shape different from the first shapeto define a plurality of channels having at least a first channel and asecond channel intersecting one another, the first channel and thesecond channel each having a depth of greater than 1 mil but less than 8mils; providing a fitment attached to of the sidewall, the fitmenthaving an opening therethrough having an axis substantiallyperpendicular to the outer surface; and applying a suction to thefitment to draw fluid from the container.
 14. The method of claim 13wherein in the step of applying suction to draw fluid from thecontainer, the fluid is substantially completely drawn from thecontainer.
 15. The method of claim 13 wherein the container is placedinside of a box before applying suction to the fitment.
 16. A flexiblepolymeric container for storing and dispensing liquids comprising: afirst sidewall and a second sidewall connected together to define afluid chamber therebetween, the first sidewall and the second sidewalleach having an inner surface facing the fluid chamber and an opposedouter surface; a fitment attached to one of the first sidewall or thesecond sidewall, the fitment having an opening therethrough having anaxis substantially perpendicular to the outer surface; and a pluralityof objects formed on the inner surface of one of the first sidewall orthe second sidewall during the fabrication of the sidewall, the objectsincluding at least a first set of objects with a first shape and asecond set of objects with a second shape different from the first shapeand defining a pattern of a plurality of pathways having at least afirst pathway and a second pathway intersecting one another, eachpathway having a depth of greater than 1 mil but less than 8 mils. 17.The container of claim 16 wherein the container further includes aseparate piece of material secured to the sidewall of the container inan area opposite the opening of the fitment.
 18. The container of claim17 wherein the separate piece of material is heat-sealed to the sidewallof the container.